In-line roller skates generally include a plurality of wheels, mounted in-line, one behind the other, rotatable in a common, longitudinally extending, plane of rotation. The wheels are typically carried and supported by a lower frame portion attached to an in-line roller skate shoe or boot. A conventional in-line roller skate also includes an upper shoe (or boot) portion that is securely attached to the lower frame portion. The upper shoe portion provides the support for the skater's foot while the lower frame portion provides the rigid substructure or undercarriage for the in-line roller skate wheels.
In-line roller skates are very maneuverable and are capable of higher speeds than those customarily associated with conventional paired wheel roller skates. In-line roller skating is generally considered to require higher levels of skill, coordination, and strength than conventional paired wheel roller skating because of the narrow, lateral support base associated with in-line roller skates. Specifically, while balancing in the forward and rear direction is relatively easy for even inexperienced skaters, balancing in the sideward or lateral direction is difficult because of the narrow support base and is heavily dependent upon the skater's balancing and coordination skills. Proper ankle and foot supports within the upper shoe portion of the in-line roller skate aid in lateral balancing.
To obtain the optimum performance from an in-line roller skate, it is important that the in-line roller skate be maintained in a substantially vertical position. The upper shoe portion of the in-line roller skate serves competing purposes of providing support and comfort; comfort in a shoe not usually being associated with a high degree of support. In other words, the incorporation of rigid support structures in the upper shoe portion of the in-line roller skate tends to add stiffness and bulk, and, considering the warm weather environments conducive to in-line roller skating, tends to make the skates, heavy, hot, and uncomfortable. Because serious ankle and other injuries can result if comfort is favored over support, proper support in an in-line roller skate has been the dominant design criteria in the past.
In prior designs, the conventional upper shoe portion of the in-line roller skate is usually formed of rigid, non-breathable, plastic materials having an inner liner. The plastic material generally forms the outer structure of the upper shoe portion, thereby requiring that a soft inner liner of sponge rubber or other like material be included to provide a modicum of comfort to the user. Since such soft materials combined with the rigid plastic shell are good insulators and do not readily transmit heat or air away from the user's foot, the result is a hot upper shoe portion.
To provide lateral stability, conventional alpine ski boot designs have readily been adapted to in-line roller skates. These boots provide support and durability characteristics necessary for in-line roller skates. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,351,537 and 5,171,033 are both exemplary of rigid injection molded boots adapted to winter sports, such as ice skating and alpine skiing, which have been modified for in-line roller skating applications. These patents disclose an upper boot portion, which comprises a hard plastic outer shell with a soft inner liner. While this type of boot design is well-suited for cold weather sports, the upper shoe portion tends to be hot and uncomfortable when used in warm weather sports such as in-line roller skating. The '033 patent suggests that by including "primarily unobstructed ventilation ports" in the rigid synthetic outer shell of the upper shoe portion, air can circulate around the skater's foot, thereby eliminating some of the heat associated with the hard plastic outer shell. While this patent seeks to address the issue of comfort, the disclosed upper shoe portion is still configured of two parts, including a hard plastic outer shell and a soft inner liner, which in warm weather conditions can be uncomfortable, compared to conventional walking and/or running shoes due to excessive heat buildup. The result is that the skater's feet are often hot, damp, and uncomfortable.
Another problem with the adoption of injection molded ski-type boots to in-line roller skating is that while providing excellent lateral stiffness and rigidity for lateral ankle support, these boots also create unnecessary and unwanted forward/rearward stiffness and rigidity. Ski-type boots detract from the performance characteristics of the skate because they limit the range of motion of the skater's legs and feet and therefore, the ability of the skater to utilize the full extent of his strength and agility.
Further, it is desirable for an in-line roller skate upper shoe portion to be lightweight. Boots that are well-suited to skiing applications wherein it is not necessary to raise and lower the boot with every movement of the foot (because the skier relies on gravity to provide the forward or downward motion) prove heavy and bulky when adapted to in-line roller skating. When skating on a flat surface, the in-line roller skater must lift the boot with every stride to provide a forward impetus, and a heavy upper shoe portion causes fatigue and reduces skating enjoyment.
Alternative modes of providing both comfort and adequate support for in-line roller skating have been suggested. Specifically, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,963,252, 4,418,929, and 5,069,462 show roller skate frames that include a platform adapted to allow the skater to wear a conventional street shoe that is inserted into a series of braces and supports. These skates offer alternative shoe and frame designs to the rigid plastic outer shell and inner liner of the conventional in-line roller skate. However, significant problems exist with such designs in that the adjustable braces and supports of these designs, while needed to accommodate numerous shoe sizes and shapes, are bulky and uncomfortable. Additionally, there is a limited range of shoe types that the skates will accommodate, and thus, there is the additional requirement that the skater have the proper shoe type to properly utilize the skate.
Because speed beyond that of conventional skating is associated with in-line roller skating, there is a further need for speed control systems on in-line roller skates. Prior solutions to speed control include the placement of bumpers or friction pads on the front or rear of at least one of the skates, allowing the skater to tip or lift his or her foot, either forward or rearward, to bring the bumper into contact with the skating surface. Accordingly, the skater drags the bumper along until he or she has slowed to a desired speed. While this system has proven satisfactory for paired wheel roller skates using pairs of wheels in a side-by-side configuration as the support base, the narrow lateral support base of in-line roller skates makes this breaking maneuver difficult. Accordingly, speed control on in-line roller skates employing this type of drag brake requires a high level of skill and coordination to be performed properly. Higher speeds make it difficult for the skater to raise or remove the weight from one foot to properly position the bumper for contact with the skating surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,067,736 shows a conventional brake adapted for use in in-line roller skating. A pad is retained in a brake housing, the housing being securely fastened to the lower frame portion of the in-line roller skate. Other patents, specifically U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,052,701 and 5,028,058, disclose similar braking pads having different configurations mounted on the rear of in-line roller skates. However, in all of these designs, it is necessary for the skater to maneuver or reposition at least one of his feet to properly apply the brake.
Some alternative braking methods have been proposed that apply friction plates or pads to the wheels of the in-line roller skate. U.S. Pat. No. 5,171,032 suggests a method of braking by horizontally forcing one or more plates against the in-line roller skate wheel(s). The plates are actuated by a hand control 80, causing brake pads 40 to move substantially horizontally toward in-line roller skate wheel(s) 98.
Braking apparatus used on in-line roller skates must be configured to minimize possible damage to the braking system caused by the user falling or bringing the skate into contact with fixed objects. The design must further avoid debris from becoming jammed in the brake, causing the brake to fail to function and thereby failing to control the skater's speed. More importantly, the brake must be designed to avoid inadvertently jamming against the wheel(s) during skating. It is thus important to position the braking apparatus within the lower frame portion of the in-line roller skate to protect the moving parts of the brake from debris or from being damaged due to impacts.
Another problem with prior art designs for in-line skates involves the need to be able to quickly and easily replace wheels as they become worn. Most current systems require major disassembly of either the lower frame portion or the wheel and mounting axle structure in order to replace a wheel. In this regard, there is a long-felt need for a method of readily replacing or interchanging in-line roller wheels.